Chapter 229

「Above here?」

「Right. Look over there. There are the tracks where I was slipping down correct? There art no mistake.」

Hajime glanced at the spot where Tio was pointing at, over there he saw a track where there was a straight concave. It was as though something landed there face first before sliding down without getting peeled off.

Hajime returned his gaze as though there was nothing there. Ahead he saw trees and grasses growing densely along with a really steep slope expanding in his view. Depending on the place there was a slope that wouldn’t be an exaggeration to be called as a cliff.

「There won’t be anyone looking in this kind of place. Tio, lead the way.」

「Acknowledged. Let’s go right away Goshujin-sama. I wouldst determine with this dragon eyes of mine, whether thy hath grow dull or not.」

「Bring it on. You yourself, don’t show anything unsightly like slipping and then falling down.」

They made frivolous talk. Tio grinned fearlessly and then she instantly waved the edge of her clothes and dashed away suddenly.

*ton-* With a really light sound, at the next moment she was far above.

A beat later, Hajime also jumped out.

*to-to-to-to-* Leaving only those light sounds, the two of them were jumping up like acrobat using tree root, slightly sticking out rock, or from branch to branch.

Tio sent a glance at Hajime who was following her. She leaked out a joyful chuckle「Fufuh」and increased her speed further. Hajime made a bit troubled smile at that and he also followed her by increasing his speed.

Seen from the side, they only looked like shadow climbing up the mountain with fierce speed. If, by any chance there was a witness here, then undoubtedly there would be a new urban legend created that Tengu was living in this mountain.

Turning into modern era Tengu, the two of them sometimes shifted their course a bit, sometimes they meaninglessly climbed tree while sprinting down slope playfully. After a while,

「Muu? This is strange.」

「What is?」

Tio landed from a big jump and came to a stop before she tilted her head.

When Hajime copied her by tilting his head, Tio stayed silent while pulling on Hajime to get closer. Their standing position changed by just a bit from doing that.

Hajime looked suspicious. But he saw the place Tio was pointing at and reflexively leaked out his voice「Oo」.

「This is, it’s like a natural camouflage……no, if I have to say which, then perhaps this is more like a trick art?」

「Isn’t it splendid? Just by changing our standing position a bit, there art nothing that could be seen except a slope. It is exactly because we art in this angle and position that we art able to notice this cave.」

Just as Tio said, before when Hajime was right before Tio, he was observing the surrounding attentively looking for a cave, but he didn’t notice the cave over there at all until Tio led him to the spot he was currently standing on.

The cause of that really should be called as trick art. If they weren’t standing on a particular spot, the surrounding landscape and the miraculous bulge of the slope would cause the cave to be unseen.

Hajime was feeling admiration while asking Tio once more.

「And, what is strange about it?」

「No, Goshujin-sama. In the first place what was the reason that I who was rolling down the slope noticed this place?」

「Aah. A strange pressure and absorbing force, was it? ……I don’t really feel anything here. There also doesn’t seem any mist.」

「Correct. I too don’t feel anything right now. Let’s see, was it perhaps mine mistake……」

Tio cocked her neck while groaning ‘uumu’. Hajime approached the cave and peeked inside. It seemed that the cave continued quite deeply.

Hajime turned around after confirming that.

「There is no way we can dismiss the senses of a dragon race as a misunderstanding that easily. Besides, we came this far for adventure. Then we cannot just go home without even stepping in or checking it right?」

Those words of Hajime that were inviting adventure were responded by Tio「Indeed」with a nod while her shoulders shook happily.

「Even though this art a world without great labyrinth or monster, but for some reason I am getting thrilled.」

「What is called an adventure is not looking for danger. It’s looking for the unknown. In that meaning, the conquest of great labyrinth cannot be said as an adventure then. In a sense, this might be our first adventure you know?」

「The first adventure, with me and Goshujin-sama? Fufuh, perhaps Yue and others would be jealous with this.」

Tio raised a delighted chuckle for sure this time. Hajime also joined her with a cheerful grin.

「Then let’s go. Dragon race of another world.」

「Right, let’s go. Godslaying demon king-dono.」

Both of them thrust their body into the cave jokingly and also in high spirits.

……

……

「……Goshujin-sama. Mine butt got stuck completely. Please pulled me from inside.」

「Slo, sloppy.」

Even though they had put up a front and stepped inside, but now the voluptuous butt of the dragon-san was splendidly getting stuck.

Tio faced back and she twisted in her body as though she was going down a ladder, but her plump butt only changed its shape *mugyuuuu* and couldn’t get in.

Feeling that it couldn’t be helped, Hajime was sighing while he grasped Tio’s legs and pulled in with a jerk. The butt was going *mugyuuuu-*. It still couldn’t enter.

「Hrrgh-」

「Aah. My butt, if it’s treated that violently-」

A scream that sounded a bit happy echoed. Hajime put even more strength. The charming butt shook *furu furu* as though in resistance. It still hadn’t showed any sign of getting in.

Hajime took a breather「fuu」, and then he proposed to Tio who was kicking around her legs as though to say「Come ooon haul it in」.

「……Tio. It doesn’t look like it will go in at all. There is no other way, so how about I tear off your lower body so that I can pull in your upper body?」

「Suddenly I’ll turn splat!? There art no way I’ll agree! Such thing art beyond the limit even for I who love pain!」

Tio couldn’t hide her shudder from Hajime who made a brutal suggestion like a demon king. Hajime said「It’s a joke」while putting his hand on Tio’s thigh.

「Anyway, it doesn’t look like you can enter like this so……I’ll take it off okay?」

「What? How……aa, by storing it inside the Treasure Warehouse. Yosh, then cometh, bring it on!」

Today, Tio’s fashion was pants-look. And so, if her pants was transferred away into “Treasure Warehouse II”, then a space would be liberated from it gone.

The “Treasure Warehouse II” fitted on Hajime’s finger shined crimson for an instant. By doing that, at the next moment Tio was reduced into a female pervert with her panty fully exposed.

「I, it’s really breezy down there……」

Tio kicked her legs up and down looking a bit embarrassed. Hajime held the voluptuous thighs in front of him using his arms and then he pulled in once more.

However, Tio’s large butt was unexpectedly obstinate.

「Ada-, adadada-. Go, Goshujin-sama! My butt’s skin art getting bruised!」

「Good grief, it’s really a stubborn butt.」

Hajime cursed, because he was pulling Tio forcefully, her panties dug into her crotch and now it looked like she was wearing T-back panty. Hajime glared at the shaking butt.

And then, seeing no other choice, he also transferred the panty into Treasure Warehouse.

「……Goshujin-sama. By any chance, I hath also lost my last fortress now?」

「It can’t be helped. It’s in the way.」

From the entrance of the cave, there was the lower body of a woman getting suspended without even a shred of cloth. If the people of the dragon race village who idolized her as a princess even now saw her like this, surely they would have out-of-body experience without doubt.

Hajime took out from his “Treasure Warehouse II” something like a thin stick and inserted it between Tio’s shivering butt that was looking pitiful somehow and the rock where it got stuck.

「Muu? Something cold art on mine butt……」

「I’m pouring oil for lubricating machine. With this it will be smoother to pull you out.」

This was the same idea with using soap to take off ring that couldn’t come off. The overflowing oil trickled from the gap between the butt and rock and flowed down on Thio’s thighs. Each time Tio twitched and shivered and she leaked out trembling voices.

After pouring in a lot of oil, Hajime readied himself and pulled in Tio’s legs.

「Oo!? It’s slipping in! It’s working, Goshujin-sama!」

「Yosh, just a bit more. Do your best, butt-naked dragon!」

「Haua!? Not forgetting to insult even in this kind of time……this damn beloved Goshujin-sama!」

The two was strangely getting roused up for some reason.

Right after that, *nupon-* a strange sound rang and Tio’s bombastic butt slipped out from between the rock.

And then,

「…………Goshujin-sama. It’s a bit hard to say this but」

「Don’t finish it. I know already.」

Tio-san, also had a bombastic breast.

Her shirt was rolled up and her back was fully exposed, however, this time it was her gigantic twin hills that got stuck. For the time being, Hajime embraced Tio from behind to try pulling her in but……

「It’s happiness to be embraced tightly by Goshujin-sama but, mi, mine breast felt like they wouldst get torn off……」

「Haa. Let’s just go with the same method.」

「Please be gentle.」

Like that Tio――became stark naked.

She limply sat on the floor of the cave with her cheeks blushing faintly. Her butt and her breast were glistening because of the oil.

「At the start of the adventure, the proud princess of dragon race got stripped naked and became all slimy……Goshujin-sama, honestly speaking, what doth thy think?」

「I’m thinking it’s pitiful.」

Tio didn’t look happy like usual, she was wafting off sorrowful aura and agreed「That’s right」with a faint smile.

Hajime wordlessly handed her a towel.

Tio wiped her body using that while taking out the traditional garment of dragon race――the kimono that was a blending of Japanese and Western styles from her own “Treasure Warehouse” and she quickly put it on.

「……Say, Goshujin-sama. Thinking really really carefully, I was stuck because of the rock correct?」

「Hm? Yeah.」

「Then, wouldst not it be better to use transmutation?」

「……」

Hajime halted. Tio also halted. Inside the gloomy cave, Hajime and Tio looked at each other.

「Now, Tio. The unknown is waiting ahead from here! Our adventure will begin from here-」

「O, ou! That’s right! It’s from here on!」

It seemed that for now they would get over it with mood.

Both of them started walking deeper into the cave with a strange tension.

After walking for a while, inside the cave was unexpectedly starting to show aspects of cavern. The deeper they went, the wider the cave turned.

「Somehow, this is nostalgic.」

「Might it be about Orcus?」

Hajime muttered in small voice. Tio guessed what he was thinking and asked.

「Yeah. There is no light of green light stone here, but as expected, speaking about cave for me just means Orkus.」

「I can imagine that. It was the starting place for the current Goshujin-sama, and then――it was also a place of a precious encounter.」

Tio sympathized with Hajime with her voice vaguely containing gentleness. Hajime walked while illuminating the surrounding with light while glancing at Tio beside him.

「That encounter tied Goshujin-sama, spun a bond with Shia, and connected toward me. Most likely, if there art just one of those lacking, then I wouldst not be here like this.」

「Don’t make a solemn talk like that so suddenly. It’s rare for you to talk about what-if. That’s a meaningless supposition right?」

「That’s right. Indeed, it’s meaningless. But, I feel happy with our time right now that art like a miracle, so much so that I’m looking back like that. Being solemn sometimes art also not bad.」

Saying that, Tio made a really hard to describe smile, even so there wasn’t any shadow in it by any means. Even though it was just for a moment, but Hajime’s eyes were definitely stolen by that smile of Tio.

「Oh? What’s this, Goshujin-sama. Art thou falling in love all over me again? By any chance, the possibility of surpassing Yue art……」

「It’s completely none.」

Hajime’s immediate answer dealt critical hit. A sweet voice leaked out from the hopeless dragon-san. 「If only she kept smiling like just now, no matter from where you look she is a wonderful princess of the dragon race, yet」Hajime was staring at Tio with disappointment filling his eyes.

「Or rather, you, you are aiming to surpass Yue?」

「That art really a late question. There art not a single woman that art not aiming for that. Of course it wouldst not be something that art done bloodthirstily, but a chase to overtake that art done enjoyably, it’s something like a serious playfulness between fellow wives.」

「……I thought that it’s just Kaori who is like that.」

「Fufu, you still hath some way to go Goshujin-sama. Everyone like everyone else to the greatest degree, but that art that. This art this. Because we art woman, then as expected we want to be told as “number one”, we desire to be “the only one” for the man we loved. Even Yue often said it art not she? 『I’ll accept any challenge anytime, anywhere, no matter how many times』.」

「I see.」

A wry smile emerged on Hajime’s lips thinking that he still “had some way to go” while he scratched his cheek. Even though normally Tio was just a pervert, sometimes she would give Hajime “understanding” with significant words smoothly said like this. She was by nature really thoughtful, and that was also one of her charm.

Hajime wanted to say something to the smiling Tio and he opened his mouth.

But, before he could speak,

「Ah?」

「Mu?」

Hajime and Tio simultaneously ran their gaze at the surrounding. Sharpening wariness resided in their eyes.

Before they realized, it was truly before they realized, mist was manifesting around Hajime and Tio. It was an extremely thin mist. However, seeing this it was clearly unnatural for mist to be appearing so suddenly inside a cave like this.

And above all, what they were feeling right now proved that the mist was abnormal.

「I see. Indeed, this is a strange pressure, and I also feel a pulling force into deeper inside the cave.」

「It appeared that it wasn’t just mine misunderstanding. Now then, what about Goshujin-sama’s magic eye stone? This art definitely not a magic, but perhaps it’s one of the mystic of this world?」

「My magic eye stone isn’t reacting at all. But, it’s unthinkable that this is a natural phenomenon. It seemed that a rare phenomenon is really occurring for real right now.」

Even while they were conversing like that, the pressure and pulling force were growing stronger. The restraining force was strengthening as though it wouldn’t let the two of them got away while trying to drag them in.

Hajime took out a reconnaissance plane from “Treasure Warehouse” onto his palm and made it fly deeper into the cave.

The place was advancing deeper unhindered and its view was shared with Hajime so he could look at the situation inside.

Like that, after it advanced a little ahead,

「-. Oi oi, seriously?」

「Goshujin-sama, what’s the matter?」

Hajime made a bit of dry chuckle. It seemed there was an unexpected situation that made Hajime unable to hide his surprise.

Hajime kept his eyes fixed deeper into the cave while answering Tio’s question.

「The reconnaissance plane was swallowed.」

「Swallowed? What doth that mean?」

「Exactly like that. The mist is getting thicker the deeper you go ahead. The shared view turned pure white and nothing can be seen at the surrounding. And right after that, my link with it got cut.」

「That’s……」

Tio gulped. She understood well how powerful Hajime’s artifact was. Even though it was just a reconnaissance plane, it was impossible for its link with its master to be severed that easily.

Hajime gave even more shocking words to the surprised Tio.

「That’s not all. Just before I lost the plane, it was just for an instant but……I could see sea of clouds.」

「Sea, of clouds? Wait a second Goshujin-sama. It wasn’t the sky, but thou couldst see a “sea of clouds”? In other words――」

「Yeah, the scene I saw wasn’t something I could see from a cave even if the ceiling here is transparent. Hahah, we are really inside a cave right?」

Hajime and Tio looked at each other’s face.

And, at that time,

「Nno!?」

「This is!?」

The mist moved. No, the mist around Hajime and Tio increased in thickness so suddenly they mistakenly thought that, at the same time the pressure and the pulling force were also generated.

「Aa, this is bad Tio. Just maybe, this cave is a “natural gate”. At this rate perhaps we might get thrown out to another world somewhere.」

「I see. The true identity of “spirited away”, by any chance it might be this kind of place or phenomenon.」

Even while Hajime and Tio were speaking out their hypothesis, they were trying to turn around toward the entrance.

But, it seemed the phenomenon of spirited away was something that couldn’t be escaped from that easily.

「Ah, this is no good.」

「Truly, I understand this sensation. ――We art caught.」

With those words as their last, Hajime and Tio’s figure was enveloped by the abnormally white mist.

And then, a few minutes later, the mist finally cleared up and the figure of the two weren’t there anymore.

Right after the mist coiling around them cleared up, Hajime and Tio were,

「Oo, it’s really the blue sky.」

「Entering into a cave and fall from the sky, this art truly something.」

Free falling in the great sky of an unknown world while they were folding their arms with unmoving thinking posture. (TN: In the raw the author is using the kanji 絶賛(zessan/great praise) related with the free falling. When I google it it’s related with the free falling stock market price, but to my shame I still really don’t get what is the connection between great praise and free falling. Help please.)

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

This is Tio arc.

About how far it will continue, what kind of end it will have, there is no plot, so even Shirakome doesn’t know.

But as expected I don’t think that it will run wild like Lily arc……

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep